


Head Down, Head On

by oper_1895



Series: Being (Consentingly, Happily, Sexily) Mean to Tony [6]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Cuddles, Drowning, Edge Play, Fear Play, Flashbacks, M/M, Multi, Non-Sexual Kink, Panic, Rope Bondage, Safewording, Water, kink isn't therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:40:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28580649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oper_1895/pseuds/oper_1895
Summary: Kink isn’t therapy, Tony knows that, but that doesn't mean he's going to ignore the potential in the overlap.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: Being (Consentingly, Happily, Sexily) Mean to Tony [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1941472
Comments: 16
Kudos: 67
Collections: STB Bingo: Round One





	Head Down, Head On

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Nautaisho and Inktastic1711 for beta! 
> 
> This is for my free square in the STB Bingo, I'm calling it for Fear Play :)
> 
> It is possible this one might grow a second chapter at some point, but that's on a slow boil.
> 
> Also I have a tumblr now! Mostly it's going to be for AO3 updates and I'll occasionally be open for prompts there: oper1895.tumblr.com

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

Tony’s fingers were trembling as he reached out to brush the bundle of their well worn rope. He didn’t look at anything beyond. He knew that probably meant he wasn’t ready for this but... 

“Yes.”

Steve picked up a hank of rope and pulled Tony close, chest to chest where they could breathe together and just held him. Bucky stepped in behind Tony, folded Tony’s hands into the small of his back as Steve let the end of the now unbundled piece of rope drape over Tony’s shoulder. 

Tony shivered as the rope tickled down his skin. Bucky pressed a kiss into his shoulder blade, mouthing at the edge of the bone as his hands created the familiar two wraps and a knot around Tony’s wrists. 

Once Bucky had secured Tony’s forearms, Steve took up the tension, tugging Tony’s hands up slightly before wrapping the rope securely around his arms and chest. And it continued, the two of them passing the ropes back and forth, weaving a comforting matrix of rope all down his torso. With each new pass he felt more secure, more safe. He let himself fall into the rhythm of their movement and the sounds of the rope. The way it creaked with each of his breaths, the way it felt when they ran their hands over him, interruptions of skin and rope. He wasn’t just him, he wasn’t alone. 

“I’m ready,” Tony murmured. Their hands stilled, he realized he had closed his eyes and he opened them to meet their eyes. “I’m ready.”

He kept his eyes open as they guided him to his knees in front of the bucket. Kept his eyes on Bucky as Steve knelt beside him. 

“This stops the moment you want it to. The instant,” Bucky said, his gaze comfortingly steady. 

Tony nodded, mouth dry. Wouldn’t be dry for long, he thought darkly, adrenaline warring against the peace of the rope. 

“Tell me. Show me.” Steve's voice was firm. 

“Stop, No, Red, Safeword, Done,” Tony recited, they weren’t going for subtle here, then flashed his hands behind his back open-closed-open-closed.

“Good,” Steve said, then he grabbed a handful of Tony’s hair and pushed his head into the water. 

The instant Tony’s face hit the water he felt a flare of panic. All of a sudden it was cold and dark with the sound of his heart hammering in his ears, and oh god the battery. His heart was going to stop, this was too much, he’d _hear it stop_. He struggled against the hand on his head, the urge to just breathe and get it over with, then felt the ropes, their texture a difference from the nightmares, from the flashbacks. 

He gasped as he was dragged out of the water, the first breath for air, the second to feel the hug of the ropes against his ribs. This Was Different. 

His head was pushed under again.

Less panic than the first time, more panic because he was already panicked. He flailed, fingers clutching into the weaves of the harness. He wasn’t alone. They were here with him to hold him together.

He was up again, breathing air, his eyes were open but he wasn’t seeing it was just feeling and panic and…

“Done!” he gasped. “Done. Done. So done. I’m done.”

He was instantly warm and soft. Someone had draped a huge warmed blanket over his shoulders, flopping a corner over his head to soak up the water of his wet hair. Someone was drying his face. He blinked, vision coming back and the bucket was gone, the water was gone, and it was just Steve and Bucky and their apartment.

He breathed, feeling the creak of the rope, their rope. Holding him together. He felt himself lean towards them and they gathered him in their arms.

“Leave the rope,” he murmured, teeth starting to chatter and crashing hard as the adrenaline left him. “I still need you.”

“We’re right here.” Their voices were low and soft, blurring together. “We’re not going anywhere.”

**Author's Note:**

> All comments are welcome! Including keyboard smashes and emojis :D


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